Bread

I have been busy trying out different kinds of bread since I stumbled upon an easy no knead bread recipe. Started off quite successful and have  now progressed to sour dough bread. Extras can be stored in the freezer.   No more buying bread from the store!

Here are some photos of the various kind of breads that I have made these last few weeks.  

                                        This is the no knead bread which is very simple to make.

Black Sesame Bun  -  From a cooking class conducted by Mrs. Evon Kow

Sesame bread.  It was nice considering it was the 1st try. The texture was quite soft.  Colleagues all agreed it was good.  Recipe taken from a bread book.

                            Cranberry Toast -  This is really soft and good.  Made with sour dough.

                                                                    Walnut bread

                                                                 Walnut buns,  good with butter

Mini Bak Won (Meat Balls)

Nice fried minced pork ball called 'Bak Won' recommended by Hokkien colleagues.  Thanks to  a colleague's mother-in-law who is a very good cook and happy to share this recipe. This meat ball  has to taste good since there are so many ingredients in it. Good for finger food.  Secure a cube of cucumber to a bak won with a toothpick and I am sure it will  be yum!

Below is an estimation of the ingredients.  The best way to gauge the taste is to deep fry one meat ball and taste it. In this way one can still either add more salt or pepper etc.... to the mixture.

Ingredients:-

300 gms  pork belly (chopped separately)
150 gms prawn meat (chopped separately)

carrot   1/3 stick           )   grated  and then give them a pulse in the electric chopper. take out & set aside
Yam     1/3 (small)        )

1 small big onion           )    chopped them in the electric chopper.
1/2 knob garlic              )

2 water chess nut   (diced)

1/2 egg

Seasoning:     salt, pepper, 2 tabsp soya sauce, 1 tabsp sesame oil,  1 tabsp rice flour
                     (I omitted the MSG)

Method:-

1)    Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly until a bit gluey.  I use a pair of chopsticks.

2)    Heat up some oil in a wok.   With a  spoon, scoop a small ball of the mixture and drop it into the
       oil.  Deep fry until meat is cooked.  To have more crispy meatballs, deep fry them 2 times.

Pork Meat Floss

This is the 2nd time I am making pork meat floss, the 1st time was long long time ago.  I only remember the basic ingredients.  It turned out alright but could be sweeter but colleagues think it is just right. My meat was a bit more than 600 gm according to the butcher.  Anyway not good to eat too sweet!

Ingredients:

600 gm lean pork (wash and cut into cubes)
5-6 tabsp sugar  (more or less according to taste)
3 tabsp soya sauce  (a friend suggested 2 tabsp soya sauce and 1 tabsp fish sauce)
pinch of salt
5 pieces of cloves (ting heong)  - optional

Method:

1)      Put all ingredients into a crock/slow pot and add in water just enough to cover the meat.
         Leave it on for about 6 hours or until meat is tender.

2)     Pour out the meat into a wok and loosen the pork by running  a pair of chopsticks through it.

3)     Fry the pork threads on low fire until dry.  It takes about an hour. Do not leave the meat unattended.
        You have to keep on frying.   It is hard work but the result is satisfying. Enjoy!

Lor Mai Farn - Steamed Glutinous Rice

 I have blogged about this steamed glutinous rice much earlier and I consider  this  an improved version with more ingredients and therefore tasted better.  I am following the method that my friend's mother did. She used to operate a stall selling 'lor mai farn, tong sui', yam cake, radish cake etc.  Though her ' lor mai farn' didn't have all the ingredients except dried prawns, it tasted so delicious... one of a kind I would say.  Even my friend cannot get the same taste even though done the same way.

The ingredients I used here are estimated and you can put more or less as you wish.     Anyway it turned out good according to my colleagues.                                                        

Ingredients:

400 gm glutinous rice (wash and soak for 3 hours and discard water)
1 pair of Chinese sausages  (soak in hot water for awhile.  Remove skin and dice)
4 big Chinese dry mushrooms (soak in water, wash and dice)  - I  marinate it with a bit of sugar and
                                                                                                 oyster sauce.  

100 gm dry prawns  (wash and soak in some water.  Retain the liquid for later use)
some dry scallops  (wash and soak in some water.  Retain the liquid)

Soya sauce, dark soya sauce and chicken stock/granules or  to taste.

Method

1)      Heat up the wok on low fire.  Put in the sausage and fry until fragrant.  Add in the dried prawns and
         dried scallops.  Continue stirring until crispy.  Put in the mushroom to cook another 5 mins.  Dish out
         and set aside.

2)     Heat up a bit of oil.  Put in the glutinous and keep on frying on low fire.  Sprinkle with the scallop/dried         prawn  water and continue frying for about 30mins.  Do not let the rice stick to the wok.
        Last mix  in the dark soya sauce, light soya sauce and chicken stock granules to taste.  
        Dish out the rice and steam for one  hour.
        Sprinkle a bit more water onto the rice and steam longer if it is still a bit hard.  Enjoy.  It is good.
     

Fruit Cake

My husband's favourite -  fruit cakes.  So I dug out an old recipe given by my sis-in-law.  Though I didn't follow the actual amount of dried fruits in the recipe, it turned out well.  Being lazy, I just bought a packet of dried fruits and added some dried cranberries which I have in the fridge. My colleagues love it!

Ingredients

285 gm  (10 oz) flour     )
1 tsp salt                       )    A
2 tsp mixed spice          )

225 gm butter
175 gm (6 oz.) castor sugar
5 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla essense
4 tabsp brandy

500 gm or more dried fruits  (I added 4 tabsp of brandy to it)    -  B

3 tabsp sugar
2 tabsp water
6 tabsp. evaporated milk

Method

1)       Sieve A    Mix the dried fruits into (A) and set aside.
2)      Caramelize the sugar and water to a dark brown.  Add the evaporated milk and stir over
         low heat to dissolve the caramel.  Set aside.
3)      Cream butter and sugar until light.  Add beaten eggs one at a time.
4)      Put in vanilla essence, caramel and 2 tabsp. of the flour and mix.
5)      Fold in the remaining flour with the dried fruits and brandy.  Mix well.
6)      Pour batter into a 7" greased square tin lined with baking paper and bake at 180 deg. C
         for 1 hour or till cake is done.  Poke in a skewer and if it comes out clean, it is done.
         Enjoy!

Note:    I used two  7"L x 3.5"W x 3"H  tins and bake for 50 mins.

Honey Chicken

Made this roast honey chicken for dinner last night.  Again my good friend Jo came to the rescue.  Easy to cook and am sure this dish will please any child as it is sweet.

Ingredients:  

2 chicken thighs (deboned)  -  cleaned and marinate with some salt and pepper,
                                                             sesame oil is optional
2 tabsp honey               )
1 tabsp oyster sauce     )     mix together  -  I added 1 tsp brandy


Method:

1)      Spread the chicken meat onto a baking tray with skin down.  Cover with a piece of foil.
         Roast the chicken for 1/2 hour at 200 deg C.  

2)      Remove the tray from oven and discard the liquid.  Put back the chicken thighs onto
         the tray this time with the skin facing up.   Spoon the honey/oyster sauce mixture on top of the
         chicken and roast another 15 mins.(without the foil)  and they should be ready!
          The chicken meat is tender, juicy and sweet. Do not roast it too long, otherwise the meat
          will be tough.
             

Bird

Finally managed to capture this little bird that comes to this plant on my porch everyday.  The photos are blur as I have to shoot through a thin layer of curtain and the glass.  It is a very tiny bird and sings too.

Deep Fried Prawns

Since I had these ingredients in my fridge, I decided to try these deep fried prawns.  Thumbs up from my daughter.

Ingredients

Some big prawns (cleaned and make a slit at the back)
Some fish paste and minced pork
Some tapioca flour


1)    Add pepper, a bit of salt and a dash of sesame oil to the fish paste and minced pork.
       Stir them together with a pair of chopsticks until well combined.
2)   Take some of mixed meat and stuff it onto the back of the prawns.
3)   Coat them with some tapioca flour (shake off excess) and deep fry until golden.

Mei Lum

This is a special dip for steamed chicken and my children love it.  Most people use cilli sauce but my family being of Kwongsi dialect would cook this for our steamed chicken especially on festive occasions.  As this is a traditional recipe, there is no exact measurement.

Ingredients:

1/2 bowl of chopped shallots
1/2 bowl of chopped garlic
1/2 bowl of young ginger (smash the peeled ginger with the back of the cleaver before chopping them into  
                                         smaller  pieces)
1 bowl of  chives (cut into small pieces)
5 tabsp of oil
half cup of water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of sesame oil

Method

1)     Heat up the wok on low fire  and put in the chopped ginger (without oil).
        Continue frying for about 8 mins.      Dish out.
2)     Heat up the oil and put in the garlic. Stir for awhile before adding in the shallots until fragrant.
         Add in chopped ginger and continue stirring to avoid the ingredient sticking to the wok.
3)     Pour in the chives and mix together.  Add in the water and cover the wok for about 5 mins.
        Lastly add in salt and it is ready.   Add in the sesame oil only when it is ready to serve.

Baked Salmon

Here is the simple baked salmon with potatoes which I cooked for my dinner yesterday. Not knowing how to handle fish, I turned to my good friend Josephine to give me tips on doing this dish.  I tweaked the recipe a bit and this was the result.  Surprisingly the salmon didn't have a 'fishy' taste.

Ingredients:

A piece of salmon
1 potato
some mozzarella cheese
3 tabsp of cooking oil
oregano powder
salt
pepper
a small knob of butter

some mayonnaise/tomato ketchup/cilli sauce

Method:-

1)    Wash the salmon and pat it dry with kitchen paper.  Sprinkle both sides with a bit f salt and pepper.
2)    Peel the potato and cut into wedges.
3)    Heat up the pan/wok and pour in the oil.  When hot, put in the potatoes and fry them until golden.
       Dish out, sprinkle some salt  and set aside.
4)   Fry the salmon on both sides too, dish out onto a baking pan/dish together with the fried potatoes.
5)   Sprinkle some oregano powder onto the potatoes and salmon.  Put the butter next.
      Spread the mozzarella cheese on top of the salmon and potatoes and bake in the oven at 200 deg. C
      for about 13 min. or until cheese has melted and turn a bit golden. Transfer to a plate and pipe some
      mayonnaise on top.

Almond Crispy

With the Chinese New Year only about 2 weeks away, everyone must be busy baking away their favourite cookies and cakes.  Nothing is easier than this Almond Crispy biscuit with the cookie mix bought from the baking shop.  Just follow the instructions on the packet and you have these delicious crunchy almond crisp.

1)  Mix the almond flakes (I toasted them for about 10 mins at 150 deg. C) together with the cookie
      mix.
2)  Spread them thinly on a tray which has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake for about 7 -12 mins at    
     180 deg. C.
3)  Cut into squares with a pizza cutter while still warm.  Cool and put them into air-tight container.
      Enjoy!

Black Vinegar Pork Trotter Soup

Today I cooked my 1st  Black Vinegar Pork Trotter soup.  This soup is normally taken by  ladies during the confinement period after giving birth.   There are many recipes on this and thanks to my good friend Josephine who taught me this easy method.  It is really delicious.

Recipe

1 pork trotter -   cut and clean
400gm Old ginger -  skinned and cut into small pieces & give them a smash with the cleaver
1 tabsp of sesame oil
1 bottle of black vinegar (Hei me chu)  750 ml 
1 bottle of water  750ml
90gm gula melaka (or rock sugar)
some black beans - washed

Method

1)     Pour the bottle of black vinegar and same amount of water into a pot.
2)      Heat the sesame oil in a wok and fry the ginger pieces until fragrant. Add into the
         pot of black vinegar solution.  Put in the black beans and the gula melaka.
        Let it boil and lower heat for another 20mins.
         Off the fire.  This done preferably the night before.
3)     Blanch the pig trotter pieces in hot water for 15 mins.  Drain the water and wash the meat.
4)     Fry the meat in the wok (without oil) for a while.  Transfer them to the black vineger solution
        and boil for about 40 mins  or so on low heat depending on how tender
        you want the meat to be.

Homemade Long Yuk (Yuk Kon)

Homemade Long Yuk

This is one recipe I have wanted to do long ago but I guess I  KIV it for too long and finally made it today.  Chinese New Year is coming soon and this is one of the favourite items to have in the house  and also  as a CNY gift to friends and family members.  It is very expensive now as it can cost RM80/= a kilo!   I more or less followed the recipe given by my sis-in-law Pat who has done it before and also increased the quantity of the meat.

It turned out alright but my husband said something is missing and I supposed the 'long yuk' has to be BBQed to get that special flavour  instead of doing it in the oven.  Not bad for the 1st time and I am pleased with the result.  Took some to the office for colleagues to sample and everybody agreed it was good!

I wish everyone a Very Happy New Year  and may 2013 bring you all happiness, good health and good fortune! 

                                    The meat will leave the sides of the tray on the 1st 20 mins .
  
Recipe

600gm  minced meat (tender part)  with some fats
2  Tabsp fish sauce
1   tsp dark soya sauce
1  1/2 Tabsp soya sauce
2  Tabsp cooking oil
150 gm sugar
1  Tabsp cooking wine ( I use rose wine)

Option:    I  made another batch of  'yok kon'  by adding a pinch of 5-spice powder, 2 tsp of  red
                 bean curb solution (lam yue), replace one tabsp of the soya sauce with oyster sauce.
                 The result was better.

1)     Put minced pork and all seasonings into a big bowl and use chopsticks to stir in one
        direction untuk meat becomes gluey.
2)    Spread the mince meat onto a big tray. Use 2 trays if not enough.  Put a plastic sheet on top
       and use a rolling pin to flatten the meat to a thin layer (2mm).
3)    Bake in oven for 20 mins. at 125 deg. C on bottom rack.  There will be some liquid in the pan.
4)   Take out the meat and cut them into squares.  Place the 'long yuk' onto the wire rack and
      put back the tray to catch the drippings.  Bake on middle rack  for 20 mins or more at 180 deg. C.
      Flip over to the other side to bake for another 10 mins.
      Do watch the oven and not burn the meat.  Enjoy!

This photo shows the 2nd attempt on this recipe.  Notice that I have made this thinner but the texture is a bit tough probably due to baking the 'yuk kon' too long or not enough fat in the meat.   I prefer the thicker version.  600gm raw meat yields about 400 gm cooked meat.

No Fail Banana Muffins

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody!  May you all be blessed
with happiness and good health for the coming year.

Made these muffins this Christmas morning.  I call this the No Fail Banana Muffins as it is so easy to make and indeed yummy too. Thanks to Jenny Chan who kindly shares this recipe.

Recipe

2 cups plain flour                       )
1 1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate     ) sieve 3 times
pinch of salt                               )

4  ripe bananas (Montel size)    )  mash and mix together.  Set aside
1 cup brown sugar                     )

6 oz melted butter                       )
2 eggs                                         )   mix and beat well

1 tsp vanilla essence                   )

Some walnuts.

Method

1)     Mix all ingredients together well with a spatula. ( Add in chocolate chips/raisins if desired).
2)     Spoon into muffin cups - 2/3 full. Sprinkle walnuts on top and bake for 20 to 25 mins
        at 180 deg.C  depending on the size of your muffin case. Test with a skewer.

Note:   I added in 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder.

Water Lily

This is my little red fish pond with water lilies in bloom.  I hope I can take a photo of  the bee sucking the honey from the flowers.

Tangerine (Kaat Chai) Syrup

I found another new recipe to try today.   The original recipe calls for 5 kg of  kat chai fruits and that is a lot.  I reduce the quantity and this is what I can get from 1 kg of the tangerine.  Mix a tablespoon of it  with water and it becomes a soothing and refreshing drink on a hot day.  This syrup drink is especially good for the throat.  Recipe courtesy from a colleague's future mother-in-law.

I was at the baking shop to buy some flour and I chanced upon the packet of jelly powder.  Adding this to the syrup drink would make a nice dessert.

I purposely buy this lemon squeeze to make my job easier.  Costs only RM10/- at the wet market.

Tangerine Syrup

1  kg tangerine (kaat chai) - sqeeze out the juice
500gm  rock sugar  (2 packets)
1 orange - juice only
1 lemon  - juice only

1 packet jelly (optional) -  Follow instruction as stated in the packet.

Method:

1)        Wash all the fruits and let them dry completely.
2)        Extract the juices from the fruits separately.  Do not mix them together.
3)        Boil the tangerine juice and sugar in a pot on low heat for about 1 hour. To stir the mixture until
           the texture becomes gluey (texture is something like honey).
4)       When almost done, pour  in the orange and lemon juice and continue stirring it evenly. Off fire.
5)       Let cool and store in a clean dry jar.  Serve this syrup with water or add in ice cube with the jelly.
          Enjoy!

Dragonfruit Agar-agar

1 packet dried agar2 strips (20 gm)
1 dragon fruit
sugar to taste
3 screwpine leaves (pandan leaves) - optional
1.2 litres  ml water or as per instructions printed in the packet.

Method

1)     Wash the agar2 strips.  Put the agar2 strips and pandan leaves into the water and boil until it dissolves.
        Add sugar and off the fire.  Sieve the mixture.
2)     Cut the dragonfruit into small cubes and set aside.  Take 1/3 of it and run through a sieve to get the
        juice.  Pour the juice into the agar2 mixture to give it the red colour.
3)    Put the remaining dragonfruit cubes into desired moulds and pour in the agar2.  Let  cool before
       putting them into the fridge.  Enjoy!